Reversing situations!
by 12Chessy
Summary: What if it wasn't Peeta that the Capital captured after the Quarter Quell? What if it was Katniss? Join the characters as situations are reversed and troubles erupt from the inside of the rebellion. What will the rebels do without their Mockingjay? And how will Katniss fare in the Capital as the symbol of hope to the rebels, in a rebellion she didn't even know about?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Katniss's POV**

BANG! Katniss was thrown backwards as an explosion rippled through the sky, blowing up the force field that trapped them in the arena. Multiple explosions blossomed in the dark, midnight sky and if she squinted, she could just make out the faint, shimmering walls collapsing around the dome. Her vision became fuzzy and she could feel a warm trickle of blood rolling down the side of her face that had hit a jagged, jungle rock when she had been thrown back in the explosion. The dried blood from where Johanna had cut her started to crust on her forearm and she could feel the blood Johanna had smeared on her neck going sticky in the jungle heat. Was she going to die? She could only hear merging sounds in the background and had no idea where anyone was. Peeta! Where was Peeta? She hoped he wasn't dead. Terror coursed through her, he couldn't be dead could he?

"Peeta!" she managed to whisper as pain shot up her neck as she tried to see where he was, "Peeta!"

She waited for an answer, but all she could hear was the soft lulling of waves washing up on the sand nearby. She saw a flash of light in the sky. A ship. Was it here for her? No, she decided as she saw it disappear into the black sky. Why was there a ship? She tried to get up, but her body wouldn't co-operate. Was she going to die here? She thought of her family, of Prim and her mother and Gale. Gale, bittersweet memories rushed through her. She remembered hunting with him in the woods, their first kiss after the games, the look in his eyes when she volunteered for Prim, their shared hatred for the capital, his bloody figure, crumbled and limp as whip after whip tore through his skin. She yearned for his warm, lean body to prop her up and his soft voice to tease her. She missed him. Peeta was right; he was her family as much as her mother and Prim. But she still loved Peeta. That wasn't fake; not anymore. Her thoughts lingered on the kiss on the beach; she could almost feel his lips on hers, both hungry for more. She missed him so much. Why couldn't she have felt this before? If she had loved him earlier would things have been easier for both of them? She flinched as a memory of the anguish in his eyes flashed before her eyes. Anguish she had caused. She'd messed him around so much. Could he forgive her? Could kind, loving, sad Peeta forgive her for pretending to be in love with him for her own selfish survival and then ignore him as if she didn't know him? She hoped so. She was a bad person really. She'd been right – no one good or decent ever won the games on their own. Peeta had only survived because of Katniss's drastic actions and the rule change. He was a good person, she'd never deserve him. She pushed the thoughts away. There would be time to think later, wouldn't there? Soon she would see Peeta again and she could tell him how much she loved him. She'd never truly told him before. She had to see him again. She would. With a resigned sigh, she lay back in the rocks and waited as she slipped away from consciousness.

**Peeta's POV**

"Where is she?"

He heard a familiar voice demand and was jolted out of his deep slumber. He looked around and saw he was in a large, white room with lots of metal machines and medical equipment scattered around the floor. He glanced around and saw Beetee lying next to him on a separate metal stretcher with a few wires pumping liquid and oxygen into his body. Peeta himself had an oxygen mask which he immediately pulled off and then he gently tugged off the wires attached to his body. He was about to get up when he realised all he was wearing was a thin hospital gown. Under normal circumstances he would have been embarrassed, but this seemed too important. Without another thought, he jumped up, wincing as he stretched out his stiff muscles and carefully headed to the closed doors ahead of him. The doors were large and white like the rest of the room and slightly transparent. He could make out a tall, muscular boy in a large shirt and jeans – Finnick? And also a slightly overweight, middle aged man in a not so carefully put on jacket and shirt and a loose, stained tie – Haymitch? He felt guilty eavesdropping but he had no idea where he was. The last thing he remembered was sneaking away from Finnick and Beetee and trying desperately to find Katniss. Katniss! Where was she?

"... the hell is she?" he heard Gales voice booming through the walls. Why was Gale here?

"... we tell Peeta?" he recognised Finnicks voice.

"He'll take it badly..." he heard Haymitch say. What would he take badly?

He'd had enough. He threw the doors open and started "Okay, so what is going on?"

"Oops," he heard Haymitch mutter; he was sober for once, okay something was definitely wrong, if Haymitch wasn't drunk.

"Peeta, calm down," Finnick said, wincing. Something was horribly wrong.

"Don't tell me to calm down! Where are we? Where's Katniss? And what's the problem?" he snapped.

"Yeah, where is Katniss?" Gale said in a snappy tone. He heard a sigh from the other side of the room and turned to see Plurach Heavensbee, in a purple, velvet gamemakers robe, biting his lip as if examining the issue. What was the head gamemaker doing here?

"Okay boys, cool it," said Haymitch firmly. They both glared at him.

"First thing you need to know is that we are beginning a rebellion." Peeta and Gale exchanged shocked glances. They sure weren't expecting that.

"As soon as the Quarter Quell was announced we made a plan to break the victors out. District 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 11 knew about on varying scales. Plurach here has, for many years been part of an undercover group aiming to overthrow the Capital and made sure the gold wire that was used to destroy the force field was in the supplies at the Cornucopia. Beetee was in charge of blowing up the arena, but was unconscious at the times, but Katniss managed it." Peeta and Gale both perked up at the name of the girl they both loved. "The bread rolls you got in the arena signified how many long till we could get a ship to get you guys out; the number meant the hours and the district it came from was the days. With me so far?" Peeta and Gale nodded and Haymitch continued, "Katniss was right about District 13, it does indeed exist in a large, underground community and is also the main headquaters for the rebellion and we are currently heading there now. And in the meantime, most of the districts are ready for a full scale revolution."

Peeta just nodded, it was a lot to take in. 13 did actually exist, there was a revolution dawning, we were going to 13 and the head gamemaker was trying to overthrow the Capital. His head hurt.

"So, why weren't we told?" Peeta asked, trying to keep the anger out of his voice.

"We couldn't risk telling you or Katniss. Once the force field blew up you two would be the first ones they'd go for and try to capture so the less you knew the better." Plurach spoke up.

"Why?" Peeta asked, but he already knew the answer – Katniss.

"Because Katniss is the flame of the revolution. Without her the revolution would never have started." Plurach said, shaking his head slightly as if the plan had gone horribly wrong.

"Thats why we all agreed to keep you two alive," added Finnick, in a ragged voice.

Peeta thought of Katniss's plans to flee, to start her own uprising, even suggesting that 13 existed. He had lied about so much. Laughing at Katniss's plans, while all the time, he knew it was all true, all real, every word. What else had he lied about? Peeta thought he knew.

"Katniss?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"Johanna cut out her tracker in the arena, the Capital couldn't find her easily, but nor could we." Haymitch said and leaned over for a bottle of whisky.

Peeta knocked it away and it smashed on the floor. "Where is she, Haymitch? Where's Katniss?"

Gale leaned in to listen with stormy grey eyes.

"She was... She was picked up by the Capital after she blew up the arena, along with Johanna and Enobaria." Haymitch looked longingly at the smashed bottle, Plurach had his head in his palms and Finnick had a pained expression on his face.

The Capital had Katniss. The news washed over him. What would they do to her? Would they kill her? Would they torture her? What would they do? Gale was not so numb, he sprang forwards, bowling Haymitch over and began screaming at him while tearing out lumps of skin with his figure nails. Plurach and Finnick rushed over to restrain him, but all I thought about was Katniss, Katniss, Katniss...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Katniss's POV**

White light glows from every corner of the room. Katniss and knew immediately it's a Capital room; none of the districts have rooms like this. It's just whiteness everywhere. Her eyes struggled to grow accustomed to the pure whiteness after weeks of darkness and mild sunlight in the arena. Despite the plainness and obvious pureness of the room she didn't feel safe. Why was she in the Capital? What would they do to her after she'd blown up the arena of the biggest games they'd had in 25 years? Where were Gale and Peeta and her mother and Prim and Cinna? Cinna. She felt a surge of rage as she remembered Cinna. She could picture his warm, brave face turning ashen as Peacekeepers in 'pure' white uniform brought him down with every blow and she could still see the blood soaking his face and chest. Nothing was pure in the Capital, that's why she hated this room so much. How could a place with so much food and medicine and resources become such a cruel race, covered up by the majority of pretty dumb and harmless people in the Capital that just worried about their (awful) fashion sense? The Capital was cruel and merciless and then they wandered why people rebelled! It was almost like a scene from one of the few movies she saw at school. Except it was real and she was the centre of it. She was a flame. She was dangerous. She was a Mockingjay.

Images flashed through her mind. The fear in Prims eyes when was reaped, the blood soaking Rues chest, Gale lying limply on our kitchen table, too much in pain to even move, Peeta, covered in mud and leaves, camouflaged to a rock with a six inch knife wound in one leg, slowly bleeding to death. She hated the Capital. She really hated Capital. She hated them for the things they had done to her and her family and even the rest of the districts. She hated the way they showed of their food and wealth. She hated the way they took kids from their districts and forced them to compete to the death in so called 'games'. She hated them. Rage coursed through her, making her strong. She tore off the wires attached to her and ignored the bleeping sounds the machines made. She turned towards the door that was bolted shut and recklessly, even for her (which was pretty reckless as recklessness goes) sent her right fist slamming into the glass that surrounded the exit button. The beeping started immediately, more loudly than the wires, but the door opened, revealing a long white corridor, filled with rooms, just like hers.

She raced down the corridor, ignoring the pain pulsing through her fist. The corridor seemed endless blocks of white walls and slightly transparent, yet strong doors. She gulped as she heard shrieks coming from inside the doors, shrieks of agony, shrieks of pain, shrieks of torture. She wanted to run in, to help them, but there was a strange force that seemed to urge her not to go in. She ran on, ignoring the sounds of pain that seemed to consume the corridors and hurried on. Scratch. She slid behind a corner and looked at out as she heard a person approaching. She readied herself to leap out and grab whoever was unfortunate enough to walking by at this time, but stopped. The breath caught in her throat as she looked out and saw two Peacekeepers dragging along a struggling and beaten Johanna. Johanna was dressed in white, Capital top and trousers that were torn and ripped and covered in blood. Her face was covered in scratch marks and bruises and red circles were carved under her tired, bloodshot eyes. Despite the multiple wounds on Johanna's body she continued to fight back as the Peacekeepers knocked her down time after time. She was a rebel, a rebel to the end. Little did she know, it was only the beginning...

**Gales POV**

Dreams consumed him as he writhed against the medication, in his sleep. Images of Katniss chained to a cold, metal table while Peacekeepers prodded her with large instruments and her screams echoing through the room, flashed before his eyes. Then he saw her crumpled and lifeless in a dark prison cell as yet more Peacekeepers prodded her with red, hot, metal pokers. Katniss. He loved her so much. He loved her laugh, he loved her smile, he loved the way she crept up and game, he loved the way she hunted, he loved her. He remembered the day he'd first seen her in the woods, just 12 and barely up to his heavy, muscled shoulders. He remembered how scrawny she'd been, thin with short, spinderly limbs and yet so fierce and proud and fearless. It was one of the things he loved about her – her fierce devotion to protect her family. And now she was trapped in the Capital, a Mockingjay for the rebels, in a rebellion she didn't even know had started. It was a million times worse than the time she'd volunteered for Prim and even the Quarter Quell. She'd wasn't just a toy anymore, she was a threat, a risk, a liability and everyone knows what the Capital do to threats. She'd be interrogated, tortured and executed, probably on live television. _No. _He thought to himself. Katniss would survive, the rebels needed her, her family needed her, he needed her.

He woke up, sweating. He was in a clean, white room, on a scratchy, linen bed with Peeta staring right into his eyes. He immediately composed himself, dragging up the cold, neutral expression he'd hidden behind for years and stared evenly into Peeta now dull, blue eyes. They sat there for a while, just looking into each other's eyes, both searching for some kind of hope in an attempt to save the girl they both loved. Peeta looked away first and then Gale turned down to look at the symmetrical, cube tiles on the floor.

"So... What do we do?" Gale asked, still staring at the floor.

"Haymitch has said we aren't to do anything and anyway, we're in 13, how could we get to the Capital, rescue her and Johanna and get back here again without being caught?" Peeta sounded so strained, but it still made Gale cross.

"So what, we're just going to leave her in the Capital to survive on her own?" Gale snapped.

"That is exactly what you're going to do," came a drunken voice from the other end of the room. Haymitch. Gale stopped himself from leaping forward and strangling him in fury. It was his fault Katniss was in the Capital, it was his fault she was suffering.

"How do we know they won't kill her?"

"They won't kill her because it will just add fumes to the fire of the revolution. She would be a maytr, a saint, a girl to be remembered, a girl to fight for. No, they can't kill her, it would just make their situation worse. They'll just keep her, torture her, maybe get her on TV..."

"And we're just supposed to watch her get tortured and interrogated for something she doesn't even know about? That's despicable." Gale glared at Haymitch and started to get up.

Haymitch grabbed his wrist and fixed his eyes on Gale, "You won't do her a favour by getting yourself killed," he looked at Peeta "either of you." With that he let go of Gales wrist and walked out of the room, a bottle of whisky in his left hand. Some things never change.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Katniss's POV**

"Going somewhere?" a horribly familiar voice hissed behind her and she turned to see President Snow (they didn't really get along) in a spotless, grey suit that covered his well fed, pretty fat body, accompanied by two massive Peacekeepers. When she said massive she did mean massive, both of them were over 7 ft with broad shoulders and heavy builds, equipped to run and fight and 99.9% of the time, win. Her heart sank; she would never be able fight of one of them, let alone both. She suppressed a resigned sigh, lifted her shoulders and stood straight and proud.

"President Snow, it's been too long," she said, smiling through gritted teeth, remembering her sessions with Effie.

"I quite agree Miss Everdeen," the snake said, smiling, "the world has moved on a great deal since last we met."

She really wanted to kill him, but restrained herself; that's what he was expecting, better try and be unpredictable.

"Mason, Reid, would you be so kind as to escort Miss Everdeen back to her cell," it wasn't a question and Mason and Reid (supposedly the two Peacekeepers) stepped forward to her, but were interrupted

"Katniss! What the hell are you doing here?" Johanna gasped from behind her; I hadn't noticed her coming up. She looked completely distraught for a second, then her face turned back to its usual sour expression "Nice of you to join me," she said with a sort of fake smile as her Peacekeepers dragged her away.

"Come, Miss Everdeen, we wouldn't want you to get lost would we," Snow said smoothly; well, two can play at that game.

"Certainly not, after all, who would want to miss such splendid opportunity?" she smiled sweetly, turning his composed face sour; it made her want to jump up and down in joy – she was improving.

The guards began to drag her away, but she went with them, there was no point in fighting.

As they walked along the corridor Katniss thought of her first Games. She remembered every detail so clearly – Prim shaking with fear, her mother's pursed lips and worried expression, Gales anguish as he carried Prim away, Peeta gulping in fear, Haymitch too drunk to even remember. Those were the people she was trying to save and more – Finnick, Annie, Beetee, Buttercup and even sharp, deadly Johanna. She might not get out and either ay she was going to put through a load of pain, but she was going to fight till her last breath; she was going to fight to save them all.

Snow closed the door behind him as they got to her cell, but not fast enough to block out the scream of pain from Johanna's cell next to hers. This was going to be a long few days.

**Johanna's POV**

Damn. The Capital had Katniss – why? Why did they have to ruin everything? Not that she liked Katniss Everdeen at all. She was just lucky, a bit too soppy and frankly a bit useless, so why as the stupid girl so important? There she didn't blame her for; she didn't blame her for using Peeta to win the games, she would have done the same to survive, that was something no-one else understood.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the Peacekeeper lashed a whip down on her back. Agony coursed through her body, but she bit back her scream; she wouldn't let the Capital break her, no-one had before and she would never give the Capital the satisfaction. She could imagine Snow smiling smugly at her and almost threw up over her torturers 'perfect' shoes. Never.

Hours later, the Peacekeeper had obviously gotten bored and left as she woke up, after being knocked unconscious, to find her back soaking with blood and her body in agony. She winced as she forced herself to get up and washed herself with the freezing water they left her (they tortured her, starved her, screamed at her, but she was always left fresh water and clothes; made perfect sense). She heard a scream from next door, a scream she recognised and though she hated that person, she hated the fact that the Capital were causing her to do it more. The scream came from Katniss.

**Katniss's POV**

Katniss shrieked as pain ripped through her back. The Peacekeeper smiled down at her, as if enjoying her pain. Probably - lots of brownie points from Snow. He kept asking her about a revolution and what the rebel's plans were. What rebellion? The idea of a rebellion send a smug smile on her face, only to be turned into a scream seconds later as the whip crashed down again. She was glad Snow had left; she couldn't face the idea of screaming in front of Snow, it made her feel sick.

"Hey Katniss," a muffled voice rand through the wall, "shut up! Don't give them the satisfaction!"

She smiled in spite of the lashes cutting through her back, only Johanna would think of that. She was right though. From then on she tried to scream as little as possible, trying to see past the pain, imagine she was someplace else, somewhere warm, somewhere where safe, somewhere that she could live happily with Prim and Peeta and Gale, somewhere where her children could be safe. It was that thought that kept her going through the pain of the weeks after, that thought that helped her survive the tortures of the Capital.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Peeta's POV**

Weeks rolled past. There was no news on Katniss, nothing. The rebellion was chaos; they had no symbol, no mockingjay, no hope. Not that he was sympathetic. They should have gotten Katniss out of the arena, not left her lying there for President Snow to pick up. But it was hard to watch a rebellion plough on, slower than it should and see all the innocent people that suffered the slow advance. He gave speeches himself, people had always said he was good at speeches, but it Katniss who's speeches made people listen. She didn't make speeches much, but when she did, she made them count and everyone listened. It was because Katniss made speeches out of emotion while everyone else rehearsed them and it didn't fool anyone.

Where was Katniss? Was she okay, or was she not? What a stupid question, of course she wasn't okay; she was in the Capital, alone. He couldn't protect her anymore. He remembered her fear; she had always been scared, terrified for her family, but she had always put away her fear and fought the evil; that's what made her so special, thta's what people followed. Katniss, where are you? We all need you over here, please come back.

**Katniss's POV**

She looked herself up in the mirror. Today was her interview with Caesar and she was going to make it count. For the first time in what, months, she didn't know, she was able to look at herself in the mirror. Despite their tortures, that had filled Katniss's waking hours (and nights) with pain, they had given her a choice of either a sparkly, shimmering blue dress, with a tiara with matching coloured jewels, a white, wedding gown with lots of glitter and diamonds or a simple red dress, possibly ancient Greek style, with sparkles sewn in and a red pendent necklace. She chose the red dress, it was like the dresses Cinna had made for her, not as good of course, but she wanted to remind everyone that she was fire and she wanted to help the rebellion in her own way. She made a few adjustments to the dress, dipping the ends in her blood and cutting off some of the dress so it left her scarred back clear. She also changed her makeup slightly, rubbing off some layers that covered her bruises and scars the tortures had left and pinning her hair up like her mother had done for her on the day she volunteered for Prim, making herself look like a rebel, not weak, but a victim of the Capitals cruelty. She wanted everyone to see the true nature of the Capital and she wanted to make Snow pay, whatever her punishment later. And she knew just how to do it. Something she'd heard while she was in the cells, it would make Snow furious. She couldn't wait.

She heard Caesar call her name and she carefully stepped onto the stage, making sure no – one could see her back, she would save that for later. The audience gasped when they saw her, bloodshot eyes, bruises covering her neck and arms and cuts apparent on her face and hands. Brilliant.

"So, Katniss," she could see Caesar was struggling with what to say, he hadn't expected her to appear like this. "How are you?"

What a stupid question, but she answered sweetly, "Well Caesar, I've personally been experiencing President Snows 'warm' welcome, me and his Peacekeepers have been getting to know each other so well." She could see Snow scowling at her, she was going to pay big time later, so why not enjoy herself now.

"I'm glad to hear you've been getting on so well." Caesar said, trying to draw the attention away from her comment "Is there anything you want to say to anyone at home?"

That one shocked her, time to cause some real trouble. "Well there's not much I can fit in in a sentence so perhaps I could show them?" she asked, twirling her fingers to show everyone she was going to continue the tradition of spinning.

Caesar laughed and smiled, he obviously thought he was out of the danger zone, no way.

She smiled and stood up and started to turn slowly, revealing her whipped back and making the audience gasp. She could see Snow turning purple with rage; she was going to pay for this big time. She could imagine Johanna laughing and nodding, she still had lots more trouble to make.

She sat down next to a shocked looking Caesar, who started desperately trying to calm down the protesting crowd and she smiled, it was going to get even better. "Calm down everyone," the audience went quiet, gazing up at her, she had their full attention. "I changed my mind, there is something I would like to say to my family back home." The crowd leaned in and she could see Snow watching her with snake eyes, as if daring her to improve on her last act, he had no idea. "So everyone, what is the whole revolution thing? I've heard there's a rebellion and seen fighting in the districts," she made that bit up, she hadn't seen a television in weeks, "is it true? And all of you, in 13, a district the Capital hid from us, dead by morning."

Chaos irrupted, Snow ordered the men to stop recording, but not quick enough, the lights started flashing, the audience started shrieking and screaming and Peacekeepers grabbed her. Her vision went hazy as they struck her, blood splattered across the clean white tiles and her screams engulfed the centre.

**Gales POV**

He and everyone else gasped as Katniss spun, revealing huge scars across her back, he knew himself what they were – whiplashes and a lot worse than his own. He remembered the pain of his whipping, the agony, even when Katniss had sat beside him and Prim had fussed over him. Katniss didn't have that care and by the looks of it, it hadn't been done by any normal whip. He couldn't bear the thought that Katniss had gone through the same thing. He turned and saw tears in Peeta's eyes and Finnicks and he heard a sharp intake of breath from Haymitch, why did it have to be Katniss? She was needed here; she didn't deserve to be tortured in the Capital. He heard soft sobbing from Prim and saw her mother holding her tight, with misty eyes.

He turned his attention back to the screen and listened as Katniss spoke. "So everyone, what is the whole revolution thing? I've heard there's a rebellion and seen fighting in the districts," of course she didn't know, but what surprised him most was the contempt in her eyes and smug look on her face. He listened as she continued, , "is it true? And all of you, in 13, a district the Capital hid from us, dead by morning."

The world seemed to slow down. Everyone in the room started to talk, Prim started to scream and he could see on the screen the Capital citizens started to shriek. Katniss had out done herself this time. Beetee started to put on a fury of pictures from th e shoots, but in between we saw Snow ordering the camera to stop, Katniss being yanked from her chair by a group of Peacekeepers, her screams of pain and blood rolling off, onto the tiles.

"She's warning us!" someone shouted.

"She's could be mistaken," called another.

"She's just taken a beating, do you think she'd lie?" snapped another.

"I never said she'd lied!"

"It sounded like it!"

"Quiet!" Coins voice echoed around the room, "I think it's quite clear what she meant. Everyone start lockdown and go to your lower level bunkers!"

There was a stampede as everyone rushed to their deep, underground bunkers. He followed the rest of them; he knew the drill, though he never thought he'd have to use it. He raced past the canteen and to the ladders as the emergency alarm sounded. He saw his younger brother Rory ahead of him and sprinted to catch up with him. He grabbed his arm and led the way to the bunker.

"Is it true?" asked Victor (his other younger brother) as he and Rory raced in, earning himself a death scowl from his mother. He glared at his brother (feeling slightly guilty as he knew Vic had only been concerned) and sat on his bunk, turning his head to the wall. He could imagine the stares going on between his siblings and mother and was about to turn and apologize as the first bomb hit.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Johanna's POV**

She'd almost changed her mind. After seeing last night's show she respected Katniss more. She remembered the fury on Snow face as Katniss twirled around, showing her scars and making the audience gasp. It had been the best night in the Capital. She'd seen Katniss come back, bruised and bleeding, her gorgeous red dress ripped, but a smug look in her eyes. Though both of them had gone through a lot of pain in the last few weeks they still both fought, because they wouldn't break, not in the Capital, even when they screamed out in pain or groaned when they slept, they still got up and faced the next day of tortures. She no longer saw Katniss as just an ally, but as a friend, someone who understood her, maybe gentler but otherwise they were the same. It was like having a younger sister, someone she finally could care about. She knew it was a weakness and she wouldn't admit it to anyone, but Katniss being with her helped her, made her feel human again, made her feel like she had a purpose. They couldn't bring down the Capital alone, but they could fight till they're last breath, and they would.

**Prim's POV**

The ground shook as the bomb hit, usually it would scare her, but all she could think about was Katniss. The sister she loved so much, who had taken charge of the family when Dad had died, who had battled starvation and continuously brought back food since she'd turned 12, who'd volunteered to take her place in the Hunger Games, who'd run out and taken a whip in the face to protect her friend, who'd protected them no matter what. She'd been terrified for Katniss since the Quarter Quell had been announced and even worse when she'd found out the Capital had her. Though people tried to hide it she knew everyone else was worried about Katniss, even Haymitch and he only worried when there was a real problem.

She was interrupted when the second bomb hit them; shaking the ground and making the beds look unstable. She heard her mother gasp and she went over and hugged her.

"It'll be okay mum, Katniss will be okay." She knew that's what they both wanted to hear and probably wasn't true, but her mother needed to hear it.

"We can't lose her, we can't, not after your father," her mother sobbed and they sat there, on the bed, weeping for the girl who'd always been there before.

**Katniss's POV**

Blood covered her floor and stuck to the tiles as she used an old sheet to clean away the stains they had left the night before. Though they had beaten her worse than ever before, landing punches, kicking, whacking her with heavy, metal instruments, she had been pleased with herself. For the first time in months she had felt like she was doing something worthwhile. Of course Snow had been furious, but she remembered the laughing from Johanna's cell and smiled. She looked up as President Snow walked in through the bolted cell door.

They observed each other for a few minutes. He was dressed as usual in a grey suit and and a white rose was pinned to his jacket, looking smart, while she was in a torn and bloody red dress, covered with blood and bruises, with messy hair, that was sticky with blood.

"Do I need to tell you that what you did just there was extremely dangerous for a girl in your situation?" he asked quietly.

"No President Snow, I understood full well what I did and what the consequences would be."

"Well obviously you did not, otherwise you would not have done what you did," he still spoke calmly.

"I don't understand President Snow, was there some part of my speech of which you did not understand? I knew I would get punished for what I did and I still did it," she was confused now.

"But Miss Everdeen, I don't think you know what your punishment is, do you?" he asked.

"No," she said carefully.

"Let's just say that we can harm more than your body," and with that he let, leaving her wondering and dreading.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Katniss's POV**

She thought the Capital couldn't break her, she was wrong. She thought that without her family, they couldn't hurt her, she was wrong. She thought she'd always be safe inside her memories, she was wrong.

Days had passed since the interview, then weeks, then months. She knew she'd saved the rebels, she just hadn't realised what it would cost her until it was too late. The Capital had stolen everything from her, they'd taken her away from her home and family, they'd punished her, they'd starved her, they'd turned her memories into nightmares. It was hard to figure out what was real anymore. She couldn't close her eyes without scenes of terror racing past her eyes; she hardly ate, barely slept and was plagued with horrors day and night. The only thing she'd developed was a sort of sense right away whether people were good or bad. She could tell when they meant her harm and she would shy away and curl up and endure the beatings. She hated feeling weak, but she knew she was. Johanna was the only reason she hadn't gone completely insane, she talked to her, laughed with her, joked with her, helped her endure the beatings without giving away what precious memories she still had.

She was interrupted as a Peacekeeper came in. What terrors would he bring with him? Would she be forced through another hijacking session today? Her mind filled with dread. Though she wasn't sure if her memories were false or not the thought of all the people she had loved filled her with terror. When she saw he was holding a whip she sighed in relief - her memories were safe today. The relief was short lived.

He smiled cruelly at her "Don't be relieved yet Miss Everdeen, we've got a new piece of equipment we'd like to try out."

He pulled out the whip and lashed it in the air and she could hear a spark whish as it cut through the air. An electron whip, they were specially developed whips that sparked with electricity and were a lot, lot worse than any normal whip. She curled up as he lashed then whip at her. She felt a red hot whip lash down on her back and she shrieked in agony, it felt like someone was lashing fire across her back and then sending electric shocks through her. Hours passed and he continued to lash her, when at last she collapsed, almost unconscious, from exhaustion and pain he smiled, pushed her limp body hard against the wall and left.

She lay there for hours, in too much pain to even move, until she heard a voice from the next cell.

"Katniss, Katniss get up, it will feel better after you stretch it, trust me," Johanna said through the walls.

She groaned as agony shot up her back, but continued to roll and ended up next to the wall so she could talk to Johanna.

"Have they used one on you yet?" she asked, knowing the answer.

"Yeah, but I didn't sound like a strangled cat!" she loved Johanna, she could tease you even in the worst situations.

"It hurt!" she protested.

"It hurt!" Johanna mimicked her "Please, everything 'hurts' here!"

She laughed in spite of the pain. "Do you think they'll come?" she asked quietly.

"They'd better. I have more important things to do than wait out the rest of my days in this mangy cell!"

They both burst out laughing "What, like flirting with every guy in a five mile radus!" she laughed at the memory.

"I was not flirting I'll have you know!"

"Course you weren't!" she laughed as Johanna huffed and she could imagine her scowling.

"Not all of us have twenty men chasing after us at a time!" she teased.

"Two Johanna, not twenty," she smiled and then sighed, "Do you think they've forgotten about us?"

"I doubt it. Anyone who can forget us deserves a medal of honour!"

"Well we have done some rather memorable things," she smiled at the memories that were clean.

"You're telling me! Dropping tracker jacker nests, exploding force fields, lasting months in these stinking cells! Trust me Katniss, they have not forgotten us, least of all you!"

She smiled and they continued to banter until Katniss fell asleep against the wall, dreaming of meadows and a place where they could all be safe, far away from the Capital.

**Gales POV**

He lunged at the Peacekeeper, whacking it's head of with a clean swing and dived under a pile of rubble as bullets passed where he had been about three seconds ago. He then pulled on his gas mask as he saw the pale, almost transparent gas moving through the air and watched as the others struggled to pull on their gas masks and stepped away as a couple collapsed at his feet. He raced away from the rest of his squadron and picked up a spare gun off the floor as a Peacekeeper ran towards him and he easily blasted its head off and raced to the Justice Building as more bullets flew past his head. He knocked out the remaining Peacekeepers with a gas bomb and claimed the Justice Building.

"Congratulations, Solider Hawthorne on passing the level 32b activity - Claim the Justice Building," a tall man with a stern, but kind expression on his face – Boggs. Boggs was President Coin's right hand man (Coin was the leader of District 13), he was a stern man, but once you got to know him he was kind in his own way and there was no wiser man in the rebellion. He had been in a street programme activity where there were fake Peacekeepers and bullets and you had to try and complete the task. It was kind of fun and it gave Gale something to do besides moping around and thinking about Katniss (which is what he did in most of his spare time). Peeta and Finnick were the same. In some ways he felt attached with those two, but Katniss would never have known either of them if it hadn't been for the Hunger Games and then she would still be the strong, fearless Katniss he loved, not the scared, broken one the Capital had reduced her too. He still loved her, but it wasn't the same, he felt hugely protective of her and she knew it and hated it as well.

"Gale," he heard somebody call and turned to see Prim, Katniss's younger sister, coming up behind him. She was in her little nurse's uniform, with her blonde hair plaited like Katniss's and her blue eyes dim and misty. Nothing good had happened then, she had looked like this ever since Katniss had been taken by the Capital.

"What is Prim?" he asked, hearing the dullness in his voice.

"There's going to be another interview with Katniss in an hour," Prim said, her eyes bright with a mix of excitement and terror.

"How do you know?" he asked, his heart beating faster and faster at the prospect of seeing Katniss again.

"It was announced a couple of minutes ago in the Capital,"

He drew a breath, "Let's go."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Katniss's POV**

She stared dully into the mirror as a Capital stylist slipped her into a tight fitting blue dress, which showed every one of her ribs and flared out at the skirt. It was made of a shiny, flexible material that shone when you moved and went just down to her ankles, which were of course in the most ridiculously high heels ever invented. Her hair was pinned back on her head and a small tiara was resting on the top of her head. She didn't have a plan this time, she would just show the rebels that she needed to get out of the Capital and try to look brave and fine for her family, though she knew she looked far from okay. Her skin was pale, her eyes were red and bloodshot and lined with huge circles, her arms and shoulders were layered in cuts and bruises, her ribs showed through the dress and her eyes were misty with pain. The Capital hadn't bothered with makeup this time. She didn't want anyone to see it, but she hated the rebels, she hated the way they had just left her here to be tortured and hijacked and changed. She had been changed so much by the Capital and she hated the rebels for not interfering. Because of them she had nightmarish memories and couldn't tell what was real or not. Because of them her dreams (which had been bad enough before) were filled with pain and misery and death. Because of them she couldn't even close her eyes without being filled with pain and terror. She hated them, but no-one could ever know. She didn't want people to know that whenever she thought of Peeta or Gale or Finnick or many of the other people she had thought she loved, her mind filled with dread and she would cower against the wall, too scared at the fuzzy, but terrifying memories of them. There was one person she was never scared of, one person that no matter what the Capital showed her and poisoned her against she would still love, one person that she would protect no matter what; Prim.

She turned as she heard a soft squeak of the door and to her delight saw Johanna standing there. She rushed up and gave her a hug, ignoring the prominent bones sticking out and smiled.

"Whoa, calm down girl," Johanna grinned and despite her words Katniss knew she was pleased to see her.

"How did you manage to get here?" she asked, wondering how even Johanna had managed to worm her way out.

"With my amazing charms, of course!" they both burst out laughing.

"Yeah right! Are you getting interviewed too?" she smiled at the idea; it would be nice to have a shoulder to lean on.

"Yeah, check out my new outfit!"

Johanna stepped out of the shadows and revealed her Capital dress. She would be stunningly beautiful if it wasn't for the bones sticking out and the redness in her eyes and the cuts and bruises that decorated her arms and shoulders. She was wearing an elegant, floor length, emerald green dress that was made of a silky material and her short, messy hair was a lovely shade of brown, highlighting her eyes. She grinned, a half mad smile and squeezed her hand.

"What do we say?" she asked, swallowing her nervousness.

"I couldn't care less what you say, just make them pay ok," she nodded at Johanna, Snow was going to pay, he had done his worst, she was broken, they were broken and now Snow had nothing left to gamble with.

"Come on, let's show them," and with that they heard Caesar calling them on and stepped up onto the stage, hand in hand, united, rebelling.

**Peeta's POV**

We had all been gathering in the main hall for the last hour, since the Capital had announced Katniss would be being interviewed again. He was half dreading it after last time, but he was also half excited at the idea of seeing Katniss again. He could feel Gale's hard shoulders behind him and was standing next to Finnick (who surprisingly, was looking scared) and Prim, who was standing strong and scared next to her mother. They all drew a breath as Caesar called Katniss onto the stage and there was a huge reaction as she stepped up onto the stage.

Seeing her was shocking. She was even thinner than the last time they'd seen her, if that was even possible and her arms and shoulders were covered in bruises and cuts and whip lashes and her cheekbones were prominent, under her heavy, bloodshot eyes. She was still beautiful to him. She was in a beautiful blue gown, sleeveless and sparkly and she had a tiara on her head, as if mocking the rebels, saying _Here's your mockingjay, watch as we torture her and there's nothing you can do._ The other shock was that she was with Johanna. They were there, hand in hand, which caused him and Finnick to gasp because the last time they'd seen them they'd been trying not to tear each other apart. Johanna looked no better than Katniss, pale faced, bruised and broken, defiant and strong. Though there was a shock at seeing the two of them the rebels all shared a smile, no matter what Katniss and Johanna were rebels to the end, behind breaking point. They all watched as the battle commenced.

**Johanna's POV**

The crowds went nuts when she and Katniss stepped onto the stage. Really, did these people have nothing better to do than watch two prisoners get dressed up and get interviewed about something they hadn't contributed to for months? They were going to pay. She looked at Katniss who had a hard look on her face and was fixated on Snow, eyeing him like he was an annoying fly that needed squishing. If only we could squish him she thought, life would be so much easier.

"Come on, let's how him how to really rock at a party," she hissed to Katniss, who looked like she was struggling to suppress a laugh. She was serious. "What about the little hand lift you and bread boy do?" she grinned at Katniss, who flinched slightly at his mention, but then grinned and they both lifted their raised arms in the air, which sent shrieks of remembrance through the crowd. She and Katniss smiled and stalked over to Caesar.

She raised her voice to the crowd "Are you going to get us another seat or not?" she said, pointing at the single seat, "Katniss isn't everyone's star crossed lover you know!"

She and Katniss smirked as the Capital attendants struggled to get a second seat.

She settled down sighing dramatically, "So difficult to get hold of aren't they?" she said, tapping the seat, smirking again at the attendants scarlet blushes, "Oh well, maybe you could come by my cell later and see that everything's in order there too," she said, winking flirtatiously at the assistants, who blushed even harder.

"Bit early isn't it?" Katniss muttered to her.

"It's never too early," she replied smiling slyly.

"You just love this don't you," Katniss muttered.

"Naturally," she grinned back.

She suddenly had a brilliant idea and smiled harder.

She nudged Katniss, "Watch and learn," she whispered. Katniss nodded and watched intently.

She gazed at the audience and heard Caesar asked her a question. She turned to him and with a mocking expression said dumbly "What?"

That sent the audience into a mix of gasps and laughs, everyone remembering the priceless moment of Katniss's first interview. Katniss grinned and nodded, understanding what she wanted her to do.

Caesar laughed and started again, "So, Katniss, Johanna, how are you two not tearing each other's throats out, after all we all saw the love between you two in the arena?"

She and Katniss shared an evil grin. "Well Caesar," Katniss started, "We all have to unite against a common enemy, it's the only way to survive, don't you agree?" she added slyly.

Snow gave her a death glare and she grinned with Katniss, this was getting better and better. Stroke two she thought smiling.

"Caesar, can I ask you a question?" Katniss asked sweetly.

"Of course Katniss," Caesar said smiling; he thought he was safe, no way.

"Do I smell of roses to you?" she asked smiling, which sent Johanna doubling over laughing and the Capital's eyes widening, remembering Peeta's first interview.

Caesar looked nervous, "Well Katniss...um..."

She decided to intervene, "Never thought I'd see you tongue tied Caesar!"

"Come on Caesar, not scared are you?" Katniss added, laughing and giving him a silent threat at the same time.

Caesar laughed nervously and leaned in to Katniss, cringing at the smell of muck and blood.

"Come on Caesar, give me a whiff too, I'm feeling left out!" she grinned at him, silently challenging him.

He gulped as he smelt the blood and muck from her too.

"So what do we smell like Caesar?" Katniss asked cheerfully, "Don't worry about damaging our feminine sensibilities,"

"Speak for yourself," Johanna called out, casually flicking her short hair and picking her nails.

He laughed nervously again "Well...um...you smelt like...um..."

"Mud?" she asked helpfully.

"Blood?" Katniss added.

"Metal?"

"Salt?"

"Salt? Really Katniss, salt? Was there some beach trip I missed?" she asked, raising her eyebrows high.

"Well blood smells like salt so..."

"You read too much Katniss. It's not very feminine," she added with a snort.

"What, so lobbing axes around the place is far more lady like?" she asked snorting.

Johanna mockingly scowled at Katniss, but she was pleased that Katniss was able to be like this, defying the Capital so easily, without being terrified. She looked at Snow and smiled slyly at him, it had only just begun...


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Katniss's POV**

She was surprised that she was actually enjoying herself. For the past hour (before the interview) she had been terrified, scared that anything she said would condemn the rebels or her precious memories. Johanna was obviously enjoying herself, flicking her short spiky hair and making well remembered mistakes or quotes from other past tributes to stir up memories. She looked up at the cameras, imagining Prim's soft, pale eyes watching her and she dragged up a smile; Prim couldn't see her weak, she would just worry.

"So, Katniss, we were wondering if you had another message for the rebels," Caesar asked, earning himself a look of approval from Snow, she would show them.

She looked up at the camera, imagining the thousands of rebels that would be watching her, begging for her approval, she pushed back her feelings of resentment and forced a smile onto her face. "Fight on rebels, don't let them stop you, never forget and... guys... remember what you're fighting for..."

"And in the meantime, get us the hell out of here!" Johanna added helpfully, she sent Johanna a smile of gratitude; she didn't think she could have done that herself.

**Peeta's POV**

_And get us the hell out of here..._

Johanna's words echoed round and round in his head. He knew, they all knew that Katniss and Johanna wanted to get out of the Capital, who wouldn't, but it was hard to hear it in words, to hear someone, Johanna especially, beg to go home. Johanna, the strong, fearless warrior, brought to her knees by the Capital, it was wasn't really her words that sent a shudder up his spine; it was the gratifying look Katniss gave her afterwards. . He imagined how they must be feeing. He imagined the tortures that had evidently passed in the last month, the ordeal they had both been put through and thought of the hatred they must both be feeling towards the rebels and yet, Katniss had just told them to fight on, to rally the Capitals forces, to remember what they were fighting for, how had she done that? He knew Katniss and despite all of her strengths one of her major flaws was forgiveness. It wasn't realy surprising, she had been hurt and betrayed so much and she got to a point where she just stopped forgiving people. She had built walls around herself, never letting anyone but Prim and Gale in and during the games she had opened up more, given him and Haymitch and even her mother a place in her heart and now it was all backfiring, now she had to watch the people she loved struggle through a cruel war.

No matter what anyone said Katniss was not a violent person, she hated war and blood, was gentle, yet fierce and protected her loved ones no matter what. No-one else could see it, but he could. He could see the fear and confusion and pure terror in her eyes, she wasn't even angry, just scared. The fire he loved about her was burning out, the Capital were burning out her fire. He remembered the flash in her eyes when she was angry, the fire in her voice when she was protecting Prim, the endless flames when she thought of the Capital; it was all gone, she was reduced to a small, terrified girl. And he hated it. The Capital had taken the girl he loved, the girl on fire, and reduced her to a broken creature, without fire, without heat, without explosion. And he was going to stop it.

**Prim's POV**

She watched her sister, her brave, loyal, fiery sister break. She watched Katniss survey the crowd with fear and terror. She watched Snow smile at his work. She watched her rebel quietly with Johanna and underneath the hatred and concern she felt proud. She loved her sister because no matter what, she would defend her beliefs to the end. She watched as Katniss and Johanna brought back ghosts, brought back memories, brought back hope and watched President Snow boil.

She was going to get her sister out and nobody was going to stop her.


	9. Authors Note

**Authors Note**

Hey my awesome readers! I just wanted to apologise for the fact that I haven't updated in awhile as I have had a writers block! Sorry!

Also I wanted to say that the story has NOT ended! Just to make that clear. I am currently writing Chapter 9 and hope you like it!

Also, for you fans that wanted an escape you're in luck! It is coming up in a few chapters and the Capital are never gonna know what hit them! Well they will but it will be awesome!

Thank you readers for your patience; Chapter 9 is on its way!


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Johanna's POV**

She smirked as the crowd gasped. Yeah guys, time to live in the real world.

"What an...interesting message..." Caesar said, smiling through gritted, glittery teeth.

She smiled at him, watching him struggle for words and try to maintain an equal balance of entertainment and respect for President Snow in his interviews. How pathetic. Caesar had always seemed like a confident, limitless, settled man, but start to take away the shell around the Capital, start to minimise the power, and control and all you were left with was a pretty pathetic guy, desperately trying to keep the fragile peace between the president and the people. It was wonderful what could do to people, just wonderful.

"Anymore questions Caesar, don't worry about taking your time, it's not like we've got anything better to do," Johanna said, smirking.

"Yeah, as lovely as the 'activities' in the Capital are we're getting a little bored, so take all the time you need Caesar!" said Katniss smiling sweetly as if she were asking for candy.

"Watch it Kitty, they might take away our dessert privileges!" Johanna said mockingly, as if they got 'dessert privileges'.

"Wouldn't want to lose those would we?" Caesar said, laughing weakly. Johanna and Katniss shared a look before laughing slightly, which encouraged Caesar and made him laugh louder, before abruptly stopping and scowling at Caesar. It was hard to keep a straight face as Caesars lone laughter echoed around the silent stadium, even the brats from the Capital kept quiet.

"Hmmm... yes... very funny..." Caesar said, turning a bright shade of crimson. "So, back t the matter at hand, why do you think the rebels are hiding away in District 13?"

They both looked at him; guess age was finally catching up with him, what a stupid question. She was about to answer when Katniss leaned forward smiling.

"Well Caesar, if they can't catch them they can't kill them."

You could hear a pin drop as everyone recognised the quote from the little girl Katniss had befriended in the first Games. Go girl, she thought as she turned to see Snow watching her with an unspoken threat in his eyes. Instead of stopping like he expected her to she carried on, all the laughter and teasing was gone from her and she spoke with a cold tone and Johanna watched as Katniss did the bravest thing she had ever done.

**Finnick's POV**

He watched as Katniss's eyes froze over, as her posture stiffened, as her lips curled into a cold expression. He wasn't sure what to expect as Katniss's whole self changed in a matter of seconds. His head shrieked in triumph as he pictured the future while his heart screamed for Katniss to stop; he knew Katniss, he knew she broken, he knew she burning away and he also knew she would never ever go down without a fight.

**Katniss's POV**

She gazed out at the Capital, the people who had captured her, tortured her, broken her, who had stolen everything; she wasn't going down on her own and definitely not without leaving a trace. She fixated her cold, narrowed eyes on Snow and poured out all her anger, her hurt, her pain, her strength, her fight, her flames; she poured out all she had left.

"Listen everyone and listen hard," she was shocked at how cold her voice sounded, "you may think you're safe, you may think you're untouchable, you may think you can withstand anything, but you can't. Because the rebellion will one day reach you. You can't control people forever, you can't tie down people forever, you can't suppress the people you've looked down on forever. You may think you can but you can't; because you can't expect people to forget the pain you've caused, you can't make people forgive the misery you've implanted, you can't cage the beast and you can't stop the rebellion. You may crush this one, you may cage us for a couple more decades, but there'll always be more. Freedom isn't something you can steal, it isn't something you can take, it isn't something you can expel; its part everyone and people will fight to unthinkable ends to take it back. So you may think you're safe from us, but you aren't and you never will be." She stepped up and stood motionless as the curtains exploded in flames behind her.


End file.
